there were threads like this with the last big east coast storm. poor old folks forget things. but from what i've read it's not a horrible way to go. being duct taped to a old chair in winter late at night, tossed into the bed of a pick up truck, driven a few hundred miles in the rain and then tossed off a bridge into deep freezing water - that's a terrible way to go.

My grandparents almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning. They were both sleeping (in separate rooms) and for some reason my grandfather woke up and realized that something was wrong. He could barely crawl, but he had to drag my grandmother out in the snow--she was completely out of it-- and they both went to the hospital.

In the early 20th century, carbon monoxide death was fairly common. Slumlords would have shiatty furnaces in their shanties/buildings, and the tenants would crawl into their beds and die in their sleep, their bodies bright red the next morning. I remember seeing a picture of a poor family lined up in a bed, all of them dead due to their furnace malfunctioning. While not as prevalent today, maybe that $50 carbon monoxide detector is worth the investment. You just never know, and unfortunately, you probably will never find out. Your family, however, will.

KrispyKritter:there were threads like this with the last big east coast storm. poor old folks forget things. but from what i've read it's not a horrible way to go. being duct taped to a old chair in winter late at night, tossed into the bed of a pick up truck, driven a few hundred miles in the rain and then tossed off a bridge into deep freezing water - that's a terrible way to go.

That actually happened to someone, is that your point? Why are you watching reruns of American Justice?

cryinoutloud:My grandparents almost died from carbon monoxide poisoning. They were both sleeping (in separate rooms) and for some reason my grandfather woke up and realized that something was wrong. He could barely crawl, but he had to drag my grandmother out in the snow--she was completely out of it-- and they both went to the hospital.

I think their heater went out.

that same kind of thing happened to my grandparents. Except there was no heater involved. My senile grandfather dragged his wife out in the snow and left her there, in the Adirondacks.

Install CO detectors in your home and change the batteries when you change your clocks for DST and ST - assuming you purchased battery powered ones. CO detectors have a usable life of roughly 7 years. Replace them when its time.

When you're without power please make sure that, should you have a generator, you place the generator outside the home away from all vents, windows, etc. CO poisoning is an accumulative/chronic affliction and even low levels of CO over time will take its toll. The higher the concentration the shorter the time you'll have to leave. Don't use your gas range to try and heat your home as that emits CO and will lead to CO poisoning.

These types of death are preventable. Take the proper precautions to ensure the safety of yourself and your family.